Game apparatus



(No Model.)

A. W. HADLEY & J. HUNT.

GAMB APPARATUS.

110.450,781. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

rricn.

AMOS lV. HADLEY AND JOSIAH HUNT, OF NllV BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,781, dated April 21, 1891.

Application filed January 19,1891. Serial No. 378,193. (No model.)

To all whom. t may concern.-

Be it known that we, AMOS lV. IIADLEY and JOSIAH HUNT, both of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of which the following is a speer fication.

The nature of this invention is fully described below, and illustrated in the accom` panying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of oui` improved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line a', Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a view of the cue or shooting-stick used in playingthe game.

A represents a round base, which supports a round cone-shaped floor B. The upper surface of this floor is divided into four sectors B by means of four radial chutes, each of which consists of an inclined floor C, whose o uter end is at and on a level with the perlphery of the conical iloor B and whose inner end reaches and connects with a raised central circular platform D. The sides C of these chutes are vertical and extend a short distance above the floors C thereof and down to the conical floor B. These sides are nearly or quite parallel until they reach the point at which the floor C of the chute and the circular platform D join. At that point the portions C of the sides beneath the platform converge and meet in a V shape, as shown in broken lines in Fig. l, and serve to support said circular platform. The portion D of the platform D is inclined downward toward a central opening D which is directly over the highest point or apex of the conical floor B. The inclined portion D of this platform is inclosed and separated from the annular horizontal portion D by arc-shaped walls E, which extend from a side C of one chute to the nearest side of the next chute, so that the only entrances to the inclined portion D of the platform are through the chutes. The outer edges of the four sectors, which constitute all of the conical fioor which is not covered by the chut-es, are provided with arcshaped walls l-l, which extend from a side C of a chute to the nearest side C of the next chute. It will be seen, therefore, that the arcshaped outer edge of each sector is protected by the wall 1:1 and its sides are protected by the walls C.

This game is played with marbles. A marble, as K, is placed at a short distance from the mouth of one of the chutes, as in Fig. 1, and the player has for his object to propel this marble at such a speed and in such a direction that it will pass up over the floor C of a chute, thence over the annular horizontal portion D of the raised platform, down the inclined portion D thereof, through the hole D, and thence into one of the sectors B of the conical floor B, down whose inclineit rolls until it rests against the wall H at some point next the periphery of said iioor. Too great force applied to the ball may send it up one chute and down the chute on the opposite side, for which a penalty may be provided. Too little force may cause the ball to fail to reach the raised platform and rollback. A skillful player may cause the ball to roll up one chute and down a chute at right angles therewith, for which a reward may be provided. Rolling` the ball with such force and inaccurate direction as to cause it to jump over a wall C or a wall E may subject the player to a penalty or be termed a foul The apex of the floor B being exactly under the center of the hole D, each sector has an equal chance with the others of receiving the ball, while the apeXes caused bythe converging sides C of the walls C' prevent the balls from being stopped in their progress toward the periphery of the iioor B. Motion is imparted to the marbles, preferably, by means of a cue or shooting-stick, as l, and if desired an object ball or marble, as K', may be placed in one of the sectors to be impinged upon by the marble in play.

In Fig. l each sector is divided into three compartments or sub-sectors, and the rules of the game may be such that the entrance of a marble into certain compartments may involve rewards or gains and the entrance into certain others forfeits.

Of course the compartments, as well as the rules and method of playing', may be modiiied at will.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-m IOO l. In a game apparatus, the combination of a conical floor, a raised platform located over the center of said floor and provided with a hole over the apex oi the conical floor, and radially-placed chutes leading' from the pcriphery of the iloor to the platform, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described game apparatus, comprising the conical Hoor B, the raised platform D, provided with the inelosed portion [o D and central hole D", the chutes C, provided with the sides C C, and the walls E H, arranged substantially as described.

AMOS W. HADLEY. JOSIAH HUNT.

Witnesses: 1

FRANK A. MILLIKEN ROBT. W. TABER. 

